According to a source close to Lebanon’s security forces, Israel launched an airstrike in central Beirut, specifically targeting a predominantly Sunni area. This is the first such strike in this region since the hostilities with Hezbollah began nearly a year ago.

While Israel has repeatedly bombarded southern suburbs of Beirut, known Hezbollah strongholds, this marks the first attack in central Beirut since October 8, following Hamas’ initial attack on southern Israel, which ignited the ongoing war.

?BREAKING?Report in Lebanon: Unusual IDF attack in Beirut ? pic.twitter.com/V9Ujt5HMUQ

— Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) September 29, 2024

A source from Lebanon’s security services told AFP that “at least four people were killed in an Israeli drone strike on an apartment in central Beirut belonging to ‘Jamaat Islamiya,'” an organization linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been repeatedly targeted by Israeli forces since the fighting began. Although a Sunni organization, Jamaat Islamiya has allied with Hezbollah and has been involved in attacks on northern Israel in support of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.

#Beirut #Libanon #Israel https://t.co/1DQkAkeKlA

— Pirkko (@Tiiyee) September 29, 2024

Three Dead in Israeli Bombing in Central Beirut

Meanwhile, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) announced the deaths of three of its members in an Israeli bombing in central Beirut today. This marks the first airstrike in this part of the city since the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

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Libanesische Einwohner berichten, dass der israelische Luftangriff auf Beirut ein Hochhaus im Cola-Viertel im Zentrum von Beirut getroffen hat; dies war der erste Angriff in diesem Gebiet der Stadt höchstwahrscheinlich war das Ziel eine Wichtige Person.#Israel #Libanon pic.twitter.com/3JUw7h9dw8

— ?MilitärNews (@MilitaerNews) September 29, 2024

The PFLP, a leftist secular Palestinian organization designated as a terrorist group by Israel and the EU, has been involved in joint attacks with Hezbollah on northern Israel in solidarity with Hamas.

The Palestinian group confirmed the deaths of its members, saying: “Mohammad Abdel Aal (head of military security), Imad Odeh (military commander in Lebanon), and Abdelrahman Abdel Aal were martyred in a cowardly Zionist airstrike on Kola,” a Beirut district.

Videos broadcast by Lebanese media showed a partially destroyed floor of the building hit in the Kola neighborhood, a predominantly Sunni area near the road to the airport.

Journalists reported hearing drones over Beirut throughout the night.

Despite heavy bombardments on southern Beirut neighborhoods in recent days, this is the first attack on central Beirut since October 8.

This airstrike is part of Israel’s ongoing military pressure on Hezbollah, which has escalated since September 23 as Israel seeks to push back against Hezbollah, whose attacks have displaced thousands in northern Israel.

Shock in the Middle East from Israel’s “Total Reset” Strategy

The wave of attacks across Lebanon, Yemen, and Gaza over the weekend has stunned Israel’s adversaries. The growing presence of Israeli tanks and infantry forces along the Lebanon border raises concerns of an imminent large-scale ground operation against Hezbollah.

This escalation follows Israel’s Friday operation, which succeeded in decapitating Hezbollah’s leadership by striking its secret headquarters. The death of Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s leader for 32 years, has left the group in disarray.

Nasrallah’s successor, Hashem Safieddine, has already been appointed, but the rushed move may not stabilize the group amid ongoing conflict.

Meanwhile, Gaza remains under intense Israeli bombardment, with 28 people killed. In Yemen, Israeli airstrikes hit power plants and ports, killing four.

The broader Middle East conflict seems poised for further escalation, with no clear resolution in sight.